Hip replacement procedures involve the replacement of the hip joint formed by the head of the femur and the acetabulum of the pelvic bone. Hip replacement procedures include the preparation of the femur for receipt of a femoral component and preparation of the acetabulum to receive an acetabulum component. The two components engage together to replace the hip joint. Numerous surgical approaches exist for performing the hip replacement procedure.
The placement of the acetabulum component in the acetabulum is critical to the success of the hip replacement procedure. Therefore, the method of determining the position of the acetabular component and preparation of the acetabulum are key features. Prior art methods have used a variety of different methods of determining the position of the acetabular component. Many methods utilize the acetabular margin as a baseline for determining the positioning of the acetabular component. However, there is a wide variation in the bony geometry of these features between different patients. Therefore, these methods result in different placements of the various guides and component between the different patients.
Other methods require complicated devices and/or methods that are often difficult for a surgeon to use and perform. These devices and methods require a large amount of initial training by the surgeon prior to use during a surgical procedure. Further, the devices and methods are often not favored by surgeons due to their complexity and difficulty in use.